Mechanical Alchemist Chapter 49: Astrological Alchemy·Red Emperor

At noon ten days later, the ship of the Beluga Chamber of Commerce saw the huge city on the coast in the distance.

Sulun came to the city-state of Moros again.

But this journey has not been smooth.

There used to be several mature shipping routes from south to north to Romania. Not to mention calm seas, at least it could ensure that merchant ships traveling between them would not encounter storms for eight or nine months out of the year.

But this time, Su Lun and the others encountered very dangerous and severe weather several times, with tornadoes and terrifying waves. If it weren't for Tani's excellent sailing skills, ordinary seagoing ships might have sunk to the bottom of the sea.

After the ship entered the port, Suellen found that the once bustling port of the Moros city-state was also particularly deserted. There are almost no ships at sea, and all the piers are empty. Only a few merchant ships were still unloading and loading cargo.

Most of the dock workers and slaves were idle.

Groups of three and five were playing cards and chatting, all of them lazy and lifeless.

"Hey, I haven't been able to get enough food these days. The amount of goods delivered in a day is not even one-tenth of what it was before. Now the food has increased tenfold, and I can't even afford to eat."

"Without the arrival of grain merchants, it would be strange if grain prices didn't skyrocket!"

"Who the **** dares to come here. In the first half of the year, eight ships came from Hastelling, but all of them encountered a storm and sank into the sea. In the middle of the month, a grain merchant watched the price of grain skyrocket, and a dozen more ships came There were also storms when transporting grain, and in the end only three ships docked. The **** weather is getting worse and worse, who dares to come?"

"This is not a weather problem. I heard that Poseidon wants to punish Roman. Have you heard about the 'Alcatraz Island' thing?"

"Shh, don't talk nonsense."

""

Su Lun and Mr. Jing stepped off the boat.

Even if you don't listen deliberately, you can still hear that most of the dock workers' conversations are complaining about the poor transportation business.

In order to deceive others, the Beluga Chamber of Commerce brought a shipload of food over. As soon as it docked, the workers with quick hands and feet gathered around the ship, trying to compete for the job of unloading the ship.

The unloading matter will be handled by the stewards of the Chamber of Commerce, so Su Lun and the others don't need to worry about it.

They walked along the pier and saw the "Princess Stika" and several frigates docked in the harbor.

The two of them walked along the footpath towards the city gate.

The identity of the grain merchant was very useful. The Roman guards at the city gate did not dare to cause trouble at all, and the two of them walked in smoothly.

The city is still the same city, but its popularity is much less.

Su Lun has been here once before. At that time, there were a large number of foreign merchants, adventurers and pirates gathering in the city, making it lively and prosperous.

Now all the shops are deserted, and there are only a few pedestrians on the street, who look like they are from Ontology.

The two walked all the way and stopped near the central square.

Mr. Jing squinted his eyes and looked at the [Statue of War God Tyr] in the square. He didn't know what he was thinking about, "It's strange, why is the power of faith in the city so thin?"

Su Lun turned his eyes and looked around.

He doesn't feel the power of faith, but naturally there must be something wrong with what his senior sister said.

After a while, Mr. Jing’s frown did not relax. She still didn’t seem to understand, “The Agaparthenon Temple existed thousands of years ago and should not be underestimated. Be prepared, I will go first. Take a look around the city."

"Yeah."

Su Lun nodded and didn't say much.

The two of them dispersed and walked away.

Mr. Mirror received information, saying that the high priest of the Agapanaon Temple used mysterious means to predict some scenes, and he probably knew that the Dawn Group would come to the Moros city-state.

No one stopped me. I thought it was something that was bound to happen, and there was no point in stopping it.

The masters of the North Sea Fleet are most likely already in the city at this moment, waiting for them to appear.

However, Mr. Mirror is not in the prophecy.

Before the war, they had to go to the city to check out the situation

After the two separated, Su Lun wandered around the city alone.

He walked around the central square and unconsciously remembered that he had met Vincent F. Van Gogh, the "God's Painter" here. That guy also provided himself with very important information.

Now that I think about it, there is a high probability that it was Katyusha’s handiwork.

The marriage between the North Sea Fleet and the Marfa Empire is definitely something the Lance family who wants to control the North Sea does not want to see.

So it makes sense to assassinate Princess Stika.

Su Lun didn't know why, but suddenly he thought of the previous experience of being beaten by Archduke Lance, and his cheek seemed to still hurt.

"The majestic Duke, you are really not easy to attack"

Su Lun was speechless, shook his head and continued walking.

I was just wandering around the city aimlessly. As I was walking, I unknowingly came to Walrus Street in Dongcheng.

This is the tavern district of town.

Alcoholics will not stop drinking because of the economic recession, but the place will become more and more lively.

Without the outsiders, the sailors who originally relied on ships to make a living no longer had a job, and they stayed in taverns all day long to drink away their sorrows.

This is the busiest place in the city. Su Lun thought about it and walked in.

He found a seat by the window and sat down, ordering a shot of rum.

It was still broad daylight, and the tavern was full of drunken sailors.

The sound of shouting and cursing was endless.

There are more people, but most of them are poor sailors, and there are no outsiders who can really spend money.

"Hey, Oval, pay the **** money you owe yesterday for the drink first."

"I said, boss, we are all old friends, how about we settle the accounts first? No adventure group has gone overseas these days. When I find employment, we can get married together."

"Haha, in this situation, do you still want to hire someone to go to sea? Last time, there were hundreds of thousands of adventurers on 'Alcatraz Island', and in the end I heard that only a few thousand people came out alive. Who the **** dares to come to Roman Ah! If I hadn’t bought this tavern in the city with all the money I had earned for decades, I would have left long ago.”

"Hey, it is being spread now that the treasure is a conspiracy deliberately released by the temple to attract adventurers to use it for the 'Sea Festival'. Whether it is true or false, hundreds of thousands of people have been attracted by this. Who are the outsiders? Who dares to come and take risks at sea?"

"What a **** rumor! Do you really think that the current storm on the sea is fake, and that the hundreds of thousands of people who died are fake? If it weren't for the people in the temple who did some shameful and dirty things, how could it be like this?"

"Shh, don't say this nonsense."

"What is there to say? Who doesn't know that this is the punishment of Poseidon? Damn it, the priests in the temple usually pretend to be pure like fairies, but in the end they are all a bunch of showmen."

"Stop it, offending the temple priest is a serious crime"

"Offended? Hahaha. Now the news has spread. Who doesn't know about it in the city! [The Muse's Harp] is placed in the city. If it is true, you can go to some priests and play it." Are you here? Do those cousins ​​in the temple dare to show their faces? If the merchants really dare to come without food, do you know how many people Roman will starve to death? I’m taking it lightly!"

""

Drink makes people bold, and these drunken rough men all blushed and cursed more and more energetically.

Su Lun sat there and listened for a while, and gradually became interested.

He was a witness to the "Alcatraz Incident" and naturally knew that what these sailors said was true.

But what puzzled Su Lun was that the news shouldn't spread so fast.

If he were Roman in power, this kind of negative public opinion would definitely be suppressed at all costs.

Moreover, the temple is the belief of the Roman people after all, and the authority accumulated over thousands of years cannot collapse just because of some "rumors".

What is going on with those people who keep saying "Biao Zi"?

Although Su Lun knew about the scandal in the Agaparthenon Temple.

The high priest Helvier was Oleg's sweetheart and gave birth to an illegitimate son, Onis Popov, captain of the Third Fleet. That guy is not a fuel-efficient lamp either. He made all the priestesses in the temple miserable.

But ordinary people shouldn’t know about this kind of scandal!

"Is someone deliberately spreading this news?"

Su Lun immediately guessed something.

He had heard of the [Harp of the Muses] before. It was also a lost sacred object in Roman legend.

Legend has it that only the purest girls can pluck the strings and play the most beautiful music in the world.

In the past, the priestesses of the temple would often play it on major holidays to collect treasures of faith.

What a coincidence that the harp, which had disappeared for hundreds of years, appeared at this juncture?

Now that the priests of the Temple of Agapana are not virgins, they naturally cannot pluck the strings.

Any other thing would have been destroyed by the Romans long ago, but this [Muse's Harp] is a sacred object of faith, and no one dares to touch it.

So, Mr. Jing had previously suspected that the reason for the collapse of faith in the city was this?

Isn’t this a divine assist?

Su Lun thinks this is good news.

For believers in God, the power of faith is the most important source of power that determines combat effectiveness.

Once the temple loses its credibility, Roman's warriors may not obey their orders.

Just like now.

In addition to sailors, there were many Roman locals in the tavern, and there were even some soldiers wearing standard armor.

But listening to the sailors cursing at the temple, these warriors were all drinking wine, and no one said anything.

But no matter how brave a soldier is, he knows he has done something shameful, but he has no confidence in his heart.

The "War God Tyr" believed by the Romans represents integrity and justice.

They are not afraid of life and death, but they are not ashamed of despicable and dirty methods.

And the Romans would face problems and solve them head-on, instead of the temple's current approach of avoiding them.

This really makes everyone full of doubts

"Who is spreading these messages?"

Su Lun felt more and more curious.

People in the North Sea Fleet will definitely feel that the biggest enemy is the "Dawn Regiment" who is spreading rumors.

But Su Lun knew that it was not them who did it!

"To do this kind of thing, naturally, I want to weaken the strength of the North Sea Fleet and destroy the foundation of faith in the Agaparnon Temple. Those who have this motive are none other than the Luying royal family and several big nobles in the north"

Su Lun cleared it up in his mind, and suddenly thought of something, and thought to himself: "Is it the Lance family behind Katyusha?"

I had met the "Tulip Duke" Bartolo Lance in Beihai before. He was a grand duke, and he was definitely not just here to beat himself up. Eighty percent of them have other plans.

Su Lun thought about this, took another sip of wine, and didn’t think about it any more.

Anyway, this is a good thing for their Dawn Regiment.

He took out his communicator and contacted Mr. Jing, telling him the information he had obtained.

There was also news from Mr. Jing, who originally planned to ask the Chamber of Commerce to contact Kai to see if he could redeem him. Now it's certain that it can't be done, and we must always be prepared for a fight.

Moreover, she also discovered many strong men in the city.

However, everything went as planned

The communicator was hung up and Su Lun drank all the rum.

He didn't plan to stay in the tavern any longer, so he stood up and was about to leave.

But at this moment, a man with a cloak covering his face walked in from outside the tavern, looked around the tavern, and then walked straight to Su Lun's table.

"Sir, can you buy me a drink?"

The voice is very soft and pleasant to the ears.

Even if you don’t see the face, you can guess that this must be a girl with a good face.

But Su Lun's expression became very surprised.

When this person entered the door, he recognized this familiar soul and asked: "Katyusha?"

The cloaked man lifted the brim of the cloak but did not take it off, revealing his bright smile: "Mr. Su Lun, long time no see."

The tone is still intimate, as bright as the sunshine in spring.

Su Lun frowned when he saw a girl's face.

But it was not the Katyusha he knew.

There are no freckles on her face, and there are no big flaxen braids, but a very beautiful purple hair.

This is an aristocratic lady who is so beautiful that one would be stunned at a glance, enough to be called the most beautiful lady in the country.

The purple-haired girl smiled. She sat on the high stool opposite Su Lun. Every detail of her behavior was full of the elegance and self-cultivation of a top noble lady. She covered her cloak and hat again and said, "Sorry, it's not convenient for my appearance to be exposed here."

Su Lun felt strange.

After pondering for a moment, he asked: "Should I call you 'Katyusha' or 'Miss Ekaterina'?"

"Everything is fine."

The purple-haired girl tilted her head, her watery eyes showing an eccentric look.

She heard the emotional fluctuations in Su Lun's tone and responded: "I never lied to you. 'Katyusha' is my nickname, and only my closest family members would call me that. ”

"Oh."

Su Lun felt a little disappointed for no reason.

The original young girl suddenly turned into a graceful noble lady in front of her.

It does look better.

But this was not the friend he knew.

The Katyusha he knew was an innocent girl, as pure as a blank sheet of paper, but also poetic.

Although the person in front of me concealed it very well, it really wasn't true.

And when I met here, there was an air of conspiracy.

Su Lun vaguely guessed something.

The purple-haired girl looked at Su Lun like this, and the innocent smile on her lips slowly faded, and the luster in her eyes was extremely deep.

She restrained her pretense and smiled politely to herself: "I originally wanted to meet you as an acquaintance. But it seems like it was self-defeating."

That explains it,

The two fell into silence.

Su Lun knew that meeting here would only involve seeking personal gain.

He sighed slightly in his heart and asked directly: "Miss Ekaterina, what do you want from me?"

Ekaterina was also very straightforward: "I want to make a deal with you."

Su Lun was not surprised at all: "About the North Sea Fleet?"

When he saw this person, he knew that everything about the situation in Beihai had her shadow.

The slave-hunting plan in Silent Forest, the reform movement in Shanyin, the assassination in Pirate City, and now the fermentation of public opinion in Roman City

This is a politician whose skills and scheming are outstanding.

Ekaterina shook her head and responded: "Originally, this was one of the purposes. But it is no longer."

Su Lun raised his eyebrows: "Oh?"

This answer really exceeded his expectations. If it wasn't for the upcoming battle, then why?

Ekaterina said calmly: "The North Sea Fleet and Princess Namafa have set up an ambush here waiting for you to come. Everyone thinks that your 'Dawn Group' will definitely be destroyed."

After saying this, she stopped and raised her glass and gestured.

Su Lun clinked the wine glass politely and took a big sip of wine.

Ekaterina also took a sip, elegantly, and only tasted it briefly.

She is no longer the silly little girl who got herself drunk.

She added: "I originally wanted to remind you that Oleg is here in person. But since you are here, my warning is unnecessary. It seems that your mysterious leader of Dawn should also be here."

Su Lun glanced at her and said, "How did you know?"

Ekaterina's eyes were as bright as the stars, as if nothing could be hidden from her: "It's not divination. The high priest of the Agapanon Temple didn't have the ability to predict that. This kind of existence. I just know that Mr. Su Lun, your character will not be so reckless. Even though you know that there is an ambush in this Moros city-state, you still come, so you must be sure. I think there is only the mysterious leader of your Dawn Organization. Coming."

""

Su Lun did not respond.

After pondering for a moment, he asked again: "So what is the content of the transaction?"

Hearing the inquiry, Ekaterina did not rush to answer.

Her slender white fingers circled the rim of the cup, pondering for a moment, and then slowly said a few words: "I need to marry into the Raigadi family."

The voice was very low, but Su Lun frowned instantly when he heard it.

He understood something immediately.

Political marriage

Su Lun almost forgot that he also has the identity of "Fike Regadi"

Su Lun is not Fike, and has no interest in any marriage.

Hearing this, he took a sip of wine expressionlessly.

Now that I think about it, many things become clear.

It was also because of this marriage that he was assassinated by Young Master William of Leijiadi.

Although I don't know why she didn't choose William, who was obviously better, but chose "Fick".

But it makes no sense anymore.

Su Lun has always been worried about his death.

But now that I know the truth, it doesn’t seem to be important anymore.

Why are you so upset?

Is it because of the meeting in Blizzard City that Angry, a friend who can drink has become part of the conspiracy?

Ekaterina continued: "This marriage will not have much impact on you, what is important is the identity of 'Fick Regadi'. Mr. Su Lun, you are still Su Lun. Your only All that needs to be done is to appear in Linton three months later and accept the blessing from Her Majesty the Queen with me. Only then will all the nobles in Lu Ying recognize this marriage. Before and after that, we can have no contact. ”

The essence of political marriage is the exchange of interests.

There was no personal emotion in the words.

The powerful alliance between the largest noble in the north and the ambitious Leijiadi family in the south is something even the Lu Ying royal family is afraid of.

Lu Ying's political situation is about to change.

Ekaterina added: "As a condition, I will help you in this battle. I will also give you more resources and convenience later. This will cover the future cooperation, protection, development, etc. of your Dawn Regiment. ”

Su Lun listened silently and had nothing to say.

This "Miss Ekaterina" is extremely smart. She has already considered everything before she speaks.

This marriage also has huge benefits for Su Lun.

A useless "identity" in exchange for endless benefits.

But Su Lun didn't know why, but couldn't arouse the slightest interest.

He felt very irritated, did not respond to Catherine's condition, and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp.

For a long time, neither of them spoke.

The atmosphere became gradually unfamiliar.

The purple-haired girl sitting in front of her is still calm, collected, rational and steady.

But she seemed to see something, and an imperceptible emotional fluctuation quietly passed through her eyes.

At this time, she finally took out a box she carried with her.

Su Lun has seen this meteorite treasure box before, and he still clearly remembers that the treasure box once contained many exquisite and precious small meteorites.

Now open,

There is also a scored gold coin hidden inside.

Ekaterina took out the gold coin, put it on the table, and said solemnly: "Mr. Sulen, you once gave me this gold coin. Now, can I use it?"

Su Lun naturally recognized the gold coin at a glance.

"I owe you a favor", this is what he said when he took out this gold coin and gave it to Katyusha.

Now that I saw it, Su Lun suddenly had a sneer on his expressionless face.

At this moment, a certain thought in my heart seemed to have stopped.

There is nothing to hesitate about. He picked up the gold coin on the table and said without any emotion in his tone: "Okay! I will appear in Linton in three months."

With that said, he stood up and left.

With a flick of his finger, he did not take away the gold coins and left them on the table again.

But this time, the gold coin used as a token was used to buy wine.

Ekaterina showed the calmness and wisdom she should have from beginning to end.

But at this moment, a different light burst into her eyes.

Looking at the man turning around, she suddenly spoke and said a very poetic sentence: "Meeting must be because of fate, not any other factors."

Su Lun chuckled lightly.

I never looked back.

Nothing matters anymore.

He walked out of the tavern, his back looking inexplicably sad.

From the moment I turned around,

He knew he had lost a very good friend.

The storage ring and the letter left by that good friend.

"I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye. Because this is the best ending I can think of for the story."

"Mr. Su Lun, you must remember that we once saw this starry sky together. I hid my face among the stars. If you really think of me occasionally, just look up at the stars at night. Stars I will bring you my blessings."

"If we continue writing, Katyusha will become a carefree great troubadour in the story. But our story ends here. We will probably never see each other again, so you have to take care of yourself. .Katyusha"

「」

It turns out that she had already said goodbye.

Su Lun only realized it later

Su Lun is gone.

Ekaterina looked down at the gold coins on the table, her beautiful face completely covered by the cloak.

No one saw her nose wrinkle slightly, and there were sporadic sparkles in her eyes.

The first secret love in a girl's life may not be that much of a liking, nor may it be very sweet. But that innocent love of spring is also a hot emotion that she will never forget in her life. It was also the only time in her life that she was brave and sincere without any ties. Just like the brilliant wild flowers in poetry, it blooms spontaneously. Although it is not delicate enough, when you look back at the flowers, its color is still bright.

Sulun is not only a romantic poem in Katyusha's life, but also many unique and beautiful pictures.

Take that bite,

I will probably remember it for many years.

My thoughts are racing.

Wait until the sparkle in your eyes completely dissipates,

At this moment,

She finally settled into the holy realm.

Ekaterina looked at the figure walking further and further away from her heart, and murmured to herself: "You are the only man Katyusha has ever been attracted to. In this case, then write a poem to express it. Say goodbye."

She looked out of the window and looked up at the southeastern sky, with a cold smile on her lips.

She dipped her wine in wine and wrote a line of poetry on the table:

The blue sky shimmers with dewdrops,

Golden clouds,

It's scratched,

Listen,

The wind is roaring;

Look,

Stars sparkle in the flames;

On this day, my dream woke up and it left me;

Like the meteor falling during the day, the light of an instant blooms with dazzling beauty~

Before the handwriting was dry, Yekaterina's eyes were filled with ruthless brilliance.

She shouted softly: "Astral Alchemy·Red Emperor!"

Outside the city, someone suddenly shouted.

"No! Look at the sky!"

"Stars falling in the day, my God, is this a punishment from the gods?"

"The meteor seems to be heading towards the temple!"

""

There was a commotion in the city-state of Moros. Everyone crowded on the streets and looked at the sky, shocked.

At the same time, in an unknown ancient street in Xicheng, Mr. Jing was strolling leisurely on the stone road. She seemed to have noticed something. She looked at the strange vision that suddenly appeared in the sky, smiled and said to herself: "Su Lun really has a very powerful friend."